A state assemblyman from Riverside County got a majority of his colleagues to pass a resolution calling for the humane treatment of undocumented Central American children who are crossing the border by the thousands.

Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez’s resolution passed the Assembly on Tuesday by a voice vote. The resolution “states that Californians have a civic responsibility toward the immigrants seeking refuge in the United States and to ensure that they are afforded due process and protection under the law,” read a Perez press release.

Perez, D-Coachella, said he offered the resolution “to spur compassion and a sense of responsibility toward people caught up in a desperate situation not of their making.”

“At the same time, in the absence of federal immigration reform to guide our response, this resolution makes an affirmative statement that we as a state must uphold a basic standard of fair treatment, ensuring these displaced children have access to due process protections under the law,” said Perez, the assembly’s majority leader.

Perez, who ran unsuccessfully for county supervisor earlier this year, represents a district encompassing the county’s desert communities. He cannot run for re-election due to term limits and is seeking a seat on the Coachella City Council.

The debate over the influx of Central American migrants is a close-to-home topic for the Inland Empire. Murrieta this summer was the site of protests as migrants were sent to a U.S. Border Patrol station in the city for processing.

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